Golf balls generally comprise a core surrounded by a cover and optionally intermediate layers there between. The cover forms a spherical outer surface and typically includes a plurality of dimples. The core and/or the cover may incorporate multiple layers and the core may be solid or have a fluid-filled center surrounded by windings and/or molded material. Golf ball covers may be formed from a variety of materials such as balata, polyurethane, polyurea, and/or thermoplastic compositions and ionomer resins such as SURLYN® and IOTEK®, depending upon the desired performance characteristics of the golf ball and desired properties of the cover.
Golf balls are conventionally white, but may also be manufactured with essentially any desired solid color. The solid color may be incorporated in the cover material itself or be applied to the cover outer surface as a coating. Typically, in a painted golf ball, a first coat or primer layer of paint is applied, followed by a second, i.e., finishing coat or layer.
Some golfers enjoy distinguishing themselves on the green by playing a golf ball having a unique visual appearance. And many of those golfers prefer the unique overall golf ball color appearance achieved where color/designs or other distinguishing markings such as logos are applied onto a golf ball outer surface.
In this regard, manual golf ball surface customization using permanent marker to ink multiple colors onto a golf ball surface is known. Additionally, printing and stamping methods/systems also exist for applying localized multi-color indicia/markings such as a trademark, logo, design, identification number, model name and/or number onto a golf ball surface. In such systems, ink is applied to a prefab printing plate or stamp which is then applied onto a limited portion of the golf ball surface. Digital images have been created and uploaded into a program, golf balls loaded into a printer, and then the prefab multi-color digital image applied to a portion of the golf ball surface.
In one automated approach, distinguishing markings are added onto a golf ball outer surface by masking a portion of the golf ball outer surface followed by painting/coating the outer surface a different hue or shade than that of the masked surface portion. The masking may have cut-outs in the shape of a desired distinguishing marking as well. See U.S. Publ. No. 2014/0066229 A1 of Kuntimaddi, hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
In other approaches, a spherical object is gripped, grasped, engaged or otherwise held in place by holders, spindles, prongs, grippers, clamps, cavity cups, hemispherical cups, and/or vacuum cups for the purpose of either marking the spherical object or inspecting it. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,245,386 of Felker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,063,747 of Lastowka et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,972,221 of Furze et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,851 of Vieira et al., and/or U.S. Publ. No. 2010/0151971A1 of Mydlack et al. See also, Egg-Bot videos @ Youtube.com.
For example, in the Egg-Bot device, opposing grips (clamps) and a spherical object secured there between are collectively rotated about a single axis that is orthogonal to the direction that a marker is meanwhile oscillating and providing distinguishing markings onto the spherical object's outer surface. In this device, such rotation about the single axis may be in a clockwise and/or counterclockwise direction. Accordingly, the spherical object and the marker each have one degree of freedom with respect to each other.
A notable drawback with each of these devices, however, is that the vacuum cups, cavity cups, spindles, clamps, etc. obstruct at least the portion of the spherical object surface they secure, thereby preventing marking of the entire surface without temporarily suspending operation to reposition the spherical object within the securing means of choice.
One spatial orientation device manages to rotate a spherical object into a predetermined marking position without spindles, grips or the like by contacting the spherical object with two rotating wheels or two elongated supports. However, in this apparatus, direct rotation of the sphere is only possible about two orthogonal axes. Additionally, marking occurs once the spherical object has settled into a predetermined position. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,205 of Gordon et al.
Therefore, there is a need for an automated marking device and method wherein a spherical object is rotatable in any direction about its center while the spherical object's surface is marked, and without interruption. Such a device would be desirably time efficient and cost effective. The present invention addresses and solves these needs.